


Lost Days, Lost Girls, Lost Boys

by LunaBianchi



Category: Batman - Fandom, Cassandra Cain - Fandom, Jason Todd - Fandom, Lost Days, Talia Al Ghul - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Lost Days AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-04
Updated: 2015-03-18
Packaged: 2017-12-17 15:06:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/868922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaBianchi/pseuds/LunaBianchi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While Jason Todd was in Talia Al Ghul’s care, there was another youth there as well. Ra’s had found Cassandra Cain and intended on training her himself. Jason has been unresponsive. Talia thinks this girl can help the boy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> While I do not intend for this to be in the same universe as Varekai, the two could work hand in hand. Varekai is my idea of how the canon Lost Days might have been. This is only the first installment of a series that was conceived in mine (and alleybat’s) mind and birthed in text.

There should have been some sign of struggle, the sound of protest or an attempt to run. She didn’t make any effort to do so; she’d had resistance to her caregivers deleted from her list of instincts for the most part. So, when Talia grabbed her by the arm and started to lead her down some of the many hallways all she did was wonder why the woman was so anxious to get where she was going.

Guards were following them, confused as to whether or not they should take action. One of them spoke up, “This one is under your father’s care, why are you moving her?”

Talia stopped abruptly and the coldness of her voice made the girl feel tense. “I need to prove a point.”

Again the girl found her feet moving her body to keep up with Talia. She could sense that the situation was urgent and that this woman was desperate to make things work. Their steps start to slow and the girl knows they’re close to their destination. The door was already open to a mostly empty room; the only furniture was a bed with no covers and a chair facing it. She followed Talia into the room even though the woman had let go of her the moment they got to the door. There was a boy lying on the bed as if he was sleeping, but his eyes were open. Talia stopped beside the chair, folding her arms and gazing down at the boy.

When the girl had caught up to her Talia didn’t bother looking at her, “Sit.” she quietly commanded.

The girl didn’t respond to the command as much as she did to the overwhelming need to get off of her feet. The boy hardly moved, his chest rising and falling the only signal that he was living still. His stillness pulled her in, she could feel his body screaming out that he didn’t want to be here. It was that feeling of distress that made her sit in the chair.

“This is Jason, he needs your help.” Talia said the words to attempt communication with the girl though she knew it was futile; she couldn’t speak and didn’t know as much about language as she did people. It made her feel better; it made the whole situation seem more human. It made it a little less hopeless.

The girl could hear Talia leave, but her attention was invested in this boy. She’d never seen anything like this, someone so alive and so … trapped. She glanced down at his hips; the pants on his body were barely covering him. She could feel that it was making him uncomfortable; being so exposed in front of her. She reached forward to pull them up and almost immediately color flooded over his nose and cheeks.

Away from them somewhere someone was observing this and taking notes on the change. It was the first they’d seen in him since he’d arrived.

Somewhere locked in Jason’s mind he was fighting between feeling trapped by his clothing and looking presentable. There was something about this girl that made him … feel.

All he could think about was how much he wanted to just be able to see her face; if he could just manage to turn his head. He stopped concentrating on this thought when he felt her fingers brush over his cheek. It was strange; he’d forgotten what this type of contact was like. Every now and then Talia had tried to hold him, but there was something missing. This felt genuine, it felt different.

He wanted more of that feeling he got when she touched him, it made breathing a little easier. He was slowly becoming aware of his head turning towards her, guided by her hand.

Again another note was made by someone somewhere; he’d always been too stiff for someone else to be able to move him.

He was surprised when he was able to look at her. He’d expected someone older than himself, another expert that Talia had sent to figure out how to fix him, not this girl. She was small, but around his age. He noticed little things like her lips at first and the way they curved in the middle. Her eyes gave away her background, but they were a warm brown rather than the muddy brown he was used to seeing. He scanned over what he could see of her and noticed a few wounds; scarred over and fresh. Beyond that everything about her was … soft and comforting to him.

His eyes flashed back to the wounds and she could feel his distress over them. She was quicker to rest her hand on his arm this time, she knew it was the best way to let him know what’s going on. It didn’t seem to make him feel better, she sensed frustration and his body’s screaming again. Trapped. He felt trapped. His breathing quickened. He felt suffocated.

Panic rushed through her for a moment and she was afraid she’d lose him. She liked him; liked being able to converse with him, it made her feel a little less lonely; a little more relaxed. The last thing she wanted right now is to lose that so quickly.

She moved her hand from his arm to the center of his chest, pressing down just a little. He moved his gaze from the wounds to her eyes again. His breathing slowed down and she smiled

They heard footsteps; Jason found he couldn’t move his eyes away from her. He didn’t mind so much. She knew they’d come to get her, who knew how long she’d been here with this boy. She balled her fingers into a fist on his chest, slowly uncurling them and hoped he understood.

She’ll be back.


	2. Chapter 2

It was hard to tell how he knew, but something in his body told him it was time for the part of the day he actually looked forward to. Even though it had become routine, Jason would experience a rush of excitement every time it happened.  _It ___ being the point during the day when  _she ___ would visit.

He enjoyed every second she was in that room with him. It was nice having someone who could understand him. Though she couldn’t speak he had a feeling she appreciated having someone who knew what she was trying to say. According to those observing them, their sessions were helping the two of them progress; Jason didn’t doubt their findings.

Any moment now she’d walk into the room and sit in her chair, ready to do her best to express how things went today. Once it was realized that the girl would come to him on her own guards no longer escorted her.

Suddenly Jason felt tense, something was off; she should have been here by now. He was feeling trapped again. What if something in her training went wrong? He felt like he was breathing through a straw. What if Ra’s decided he didn’t need her anymore? His panicking ceased abruptly. What if Talia was keeping her from him?

He didn’t have to battle between his mind and body before he stood up, they both seemed to have the same goal; find her.  He’d been outside of his room many times, for training and observation, but the hallways and doors looked entirely foreign to him. The layout was confusing and most of the doors were locked. He didn’t really understand why anyone would need so many doors anyways.

He felt a little sick; he wasn’t used to standing this long anymore when he wasn’t fighting or training. Where  _was ___ she? His brain felt like it was being squeezed in someone’s giant hands. If only his body would fix itself. If only his  _mind ___ would let him do  _something ___. He was pushing on the doors a little more frantically. A few of them swung open, studies and storage rooms, there were a few bedrooms too. She wasn’t in any of those rooms.

He kept pushing, desperate to find her. His hands slamming up against solid wood over and over again, thankful for once that he couldn’t feel much. Just before his hands should have begun to sting he found himself pushing against air, almost toppling over. This door was open. His head snapped up, his feet regaining balance quickly, and he saw her.

She was sitting on her bed, her back to the door, and looking out the window the bed was pressed against. He felt his body relax, the pain in his head dissipate. His feet were carrying him on their own, his mind somewhere else, until he dropped to the floor and sat down. His legs crossed and she turned slowly, sensing that someone was in the room. Her expression was calm, but her nose wrinkled the way it might if she were to laugh. It was surprising that she didn’t considering the boy looked like a puppy who’d found his way home.

She twisted her body around, her feet finding the floor. She stepped closer to him carefully as if she were meditating her way through each movement. He watched intently, appreciating the way she was able to sit down in front of him and cross her legs in one motion without using her hands for support. It was like watching silk fall. She took his hand and formed hers into a fist before pushing it into his palm. It was something quirky she did, if either of them could speak he would ask her why she does it, but that wasn’t possible or important.

He felt the corners of his mouth twitch, like he was trying to smile at her. She smiled in return and wriggled a bit in her spot, clearly excited. Warmth spread across his face and he wished he could get his body to move again, but nothing happened.

Somewhere Talia was standing by her father, smug that she’d proven the girl does actually help the boy progress. Ra’s could only take note in the way she was so keen on expressing emotions.

The afternoon passed as it usually did, silently with strong eye contact. Every now and again she would reach out to touch him or brush away the hair from his eyes. When she did she’d run her fingers through his hair and tickle his scalp. He’d shudder, his nerves waking up. She saw something change in his eyes; disappointment. Instinctively she looked over her shoulder to see the sun falling slowly in the sky.

Always the sun fell and always the two knew they would be separated again. In the morning they would wake. She would be off to another training session, he would stare at the four walls in his bedroom and wait for the physicians to poke and prod him. He thought it was ridiculous that they were still around, but Talia seemed to think it was still necessary.

His chest felt tight again, he didn’t want to face whatever his sleeping mind was going to show him. Then she did as she always had done, ever since the first day they met. She placed her palm over his heart and curled it into a fist. He calmed down and wondered for a moment why it was always the fist when they said hello or goodbye. He knew what she meant though.

_I’ll be back. We’ll get through this. ___

_You’ll get better. ___


	3. Chapter 3

Ever since Talia pulled her separation stunt on the two it was decided that the best thing for everyone was not to disrupt the schedule that had been set for so long. The girl padded down the hallway for her usual visit to Jason’s room. She was a little more exhausted today than usual, it seemed this week Ra’s wanted to push her to her limits. It felt like he was preparing for something, she still wasn’t sure what. When she turned into his room she smiled, but her expression changed quickly; his bed was empty. She knew he was in no condition to wander off on his own; Talia had made sure he wouldn’t after his excursion to find her.  


She ran back down the hallway to find Talia; she would be the only other person who might know where he was. As she did she stopped in front of a room that she hadn’t taken the time to look at before. Talia was wrapping a type of head scarf around a boy’s head. He was clothed in a long tunic and seemed rather rigid. She stood in the doorway, watching and trying to figure out what was going on.  


“Oh, Jason,” Talia sighed, dropping her arms to her sides, “I know this idea is a little scary, but it’s all I’ve got.”  


The girl’s eyes widened. She recognized the sound of his name. Talia had said it so many times to her that it was almost impossible not to associate his face with the sound. Talia turned, grabbing Jason’s wrist to lead him out of the room and saw the girl.

“Of course, you’d come looking for him.”  


Talia pushed past her and the girl read everything she could within seconds. Talia was angry and determined, much like she had been the first time she brought the girl to see Jason. Jason, on the other hand, was terrified and confused. She made a quick decision to follow them, to make sure he’d be okay.  


They moved through the building hastily, as if it would blow to pieces if they didn’t reach their destination in time. They came to a room that both Jason and the girl recognized; well they recognized the door anyways. It was grand and always locked; they were always steered away from it. Now, Talia was heading straight for it. When they entered the air felt hot and dry and the walls looked like a mix between a cavern and a sacrificial chamber. A pool of glowing, sickish green liquid filled most of the room and seemed to be the source of heat.  


Before the girl had much time to take in her surroundings Talia pushed Jason into the liquid, the fabric surrounding his body flapping around like a wounded bird’s wings. As if she had predicted the girl’s next actions Talia held her back with her hands.  


“This will be good for him, but I’m not so sure it’ll help you.”  


The girl watched in horror as Jason sunk into the liquid, waiting to see if he rose again. It took time, but eventually he broke the surface screaming in agony. The girl felt his pain as she watched, she’d been able to feel most of the things he felt but this was nothing compared to his other moments of panic. Talia could see the pain in her face and shut her from the room, but it didn’t help much. The girl could still hear him, still had the image of him in her mind; clawing at his skin like it was on fire.

~~~

It was months before she would see him again. She had improved greatly in her skills, but once training was over she would take her meals in her room or stare out the window by her bed. His pain still scratched its way to the front of her mind every day.  


Today as she made her way to her room with her meal she got the feeling that someone was following her. It irritated her, Ra’s should have known by now that these games were no good for his men and no good for her. Still she made her way to her room and set down her food on the bed before turning around to attack. She paused before going through with it, recognizing the way her stalker carried himself. Though she could only tell because he was in a fighting stance as well. She relaxed and he mirrored her, walking forward slowly. She tensed, doubting her reading of body language for once. He reached forward and took her hand, balling it into a fist and meeting it to his palm. She relaxed and he smiled at her, she did the same. It was strange, seeing him being able to express himself and move about.  


“Hi.” He spoke quietly.  


Her eyes widened, his voice was deep with a small rumble to it that seemed to come from his throat.  


“Still can’t talk, huh?” He sat on her bed, moving the tray.  


She took time to observe him better and noticed he’d grown taller, more developed. He was so familiar but so . . . different.  


“You’ve changed.” He looked her up and down.  


She felt nervous around him now; his body was telling her what he was thinking.  


_You’ve grown up too._  


He looked frustrated. She sat down next to him, staring into his eyes, and trying to come to grips with the idea that he was the same boy burning in the pit.  


“Maybe I can try to teach you how to talk. I can’t read you so well now . . .”  


She liked the sound of his voice, it was soothing. His words sounded stressed though.  


“Can you say my name? You’ve heard it enough.”  


Her face scrunched up, trying to understand him.  


“Jason, can you say Jason?”  


She smiled, she recognized that sound. That was what he was called.  


He pointed to her trying to convey that she should try it out.  


She struggled, only able to make the “ah” sound. Consonants were impossible, how does anyone make that sound?  


Still he smiled, surprised to hear any sound come from her at all. He tried over and over again for her to get it, but even in pieces the vowels seemed to be the only thing she could get. He bit his lip and noticed how intently she watched his mouth, like she was trying to figure out how it made so many interesting sounds.  


“I’ve got it.”  


He reached to take hold of her hands again, bringing them to his jaw and mouth.  


“Jason.”  


He spoke slowly, moving her fingers so that she could feel the way he made the word come out.  


“Jahy…” She spoke as slowly as he had, her nose wrinkled, not quite getting it.  


He squeezed her hands, lowering them to his chest and smiled. She smiled back, knowing she’d done something he liked.  


“That’s pretty good actually.” She traced her fingers over his lips, “Enough talking?” he raised an eyebrow. Heat spread through his face the way it always did when she was around.  


She wriggled a bit, lowering her hand to his chest and curling it into a fist. It was like those moments in his room again. Silent, but not quiet. He thought for a moment what that fist could mean now. Something told him though.  


_You’re strong. You’ve made it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The amount of positive feedback I've gotten on this story over the past two years astounds me every day. So many want to read it or continue it. It baffles me. So now I'm releasing the final part of the story...sort of. I've had this locked up in my laptop ever since I posted the first chapter, but couldn't make myself post this last one. I wanted to make sure I had a plan. Did I want to add more detail? Did I want to leave it at this? Did I want to embark on the journey of a sequel? When I started this story I was in my second year of college going through a lot and I wasn't sure if I could even stay true to the characters or myself. I had the support of my friend who you all may know as alleybat through all of it. Now I sit in my dorm room ready to start my last semester in the fall. It terrifies me. But I owe it to me and to the characters and the readers that have stayed loyal to continue this story. As I work towards being able to afford grad school I want to pick up on this story again. So yes. This does mean a sequel. Jason and Cass will learn more about what they missed in each others lives, reminisce about adventures passed, and perhaps I have some new ones for them too ;).   
> I'm not sure when I'll be able to begin their new journey, but you all have been so patient with me I feel you all won't mind waiting a little longer. Thank you all for your support and enthusiasm. It means more than you know.   
> -Luna


End file.
